Apple loses iPhone trademark in Brazil, to a company that makes Android phones

Ouch. We had an inkling this might happen, but now it’s official: the Brazilian authorities have just ruled in favor of a small handset manufacturer called Gradiente Eletronica in its trademark tussle with Apple. Gradiente registered the name “iphone” in 2000, seven years before Cupertino set up shop in that country, so now it has the right to continue using the word on its devices — including the Android-powered iphone Neo One. The BBC reports that Apple is likely to appeal the decision, but if that fails there’s always, ahem, the other option.